Eldest Senior Brother Is Invincible

"Fairy Su, how do you propose we decide the sect rankings?"

"As is customary. From among the younger generation of elders, each sect will select one elder who has cultivated for less than eight hundred years, one for less than five hundred, and one for less than three hundred. Two victories out of three will decide the winner."

"Agreed."

The sect leaders of the Six Great Orthodox Sects tacitly accepted the Pavilion Master of Ask Immortal Pavilion's proposal.

The six sect leaders drew lots to determine their respective opponents.

Shushan's opponent was Crouching Dragon Temple, Boundless Temple's was Ask Immortal Pavilion, and the Martial Dao Alliance's was the Artifact Refinement Sect.

"The Martial Dao Alliance really got lucky. Those people from the Artifact Refining Sect are so absorbed in refining artifacts that their cultivation inevitably falls behind. They've been at the bottom of the Six Great Orthodox Sects for years. The Martial Dao Alliance is sure to advance."

"Our luck isn't bad either. Our opponent is only Crouching Dragon Temple, which ranks fourth."

"Don't underestimate Crouching Dragon Temple. They excel at strategy and Dao formations, and can often turn the rotten into the miraculous. Besides, the Six Great Orthodox Sects' rankings date back a thousand years."

"Boundless Temple ranks second. Ask Immortal Pavilion is in trouble."

As soon as the draw was announced, Shushan's elders began discussing it among themselves.

The Six Great Orthodox Sects were ranked anew at every Six Paths Assembly. It had been fifteen hundred years since the last ranking, and the strength of each sect had changed.

"Taiyuan, which three disciples do you intend to send out?"

The Pavilion Master of Ask Immortal Pavilion's tone was cold.

"Changye, Wu Chuan, Changsheng, the three of you will represent Shushan."

From among Shushan's elders, Taiyuan True Person selected Li Changye, who had cultivated for five hundred years, Song Wuchuan, who had cultivated for four hundred and fifty years, and Lu Changsheng, who had cultivated for two hundred and fifty years.

Li Changye and Song Wuchuan—I calculated that these two Shushan elders would compete. But what is the meaning of this Lu Changsheng?

The Pavilion Master of Ask Immortal Pavilion frowned slightly, unable to understand why Taiyuan True Person had chosen an elder at the Dao Palace Realm, First Layer to compete.

Among Shushan's elders who had cultivated for three hundred years, there were some at the second and third layers of the Dao Palace Realm.

"The sect leader chose Junior Brother Lu?"

"Junior Brother Lu only entered the Dao Palace Realm five years ago. Isn't it asking too much for him to represent Shushan already?"

"Since it's the sect leader's decision, there must be a deeper meaning behind it."

"Unfortunately, I, Zhao Wuyan, have cultivated at Shushan for three hundred and twenty years—neither here nor there. If I were twenty years younger, I could compete in Junior Brother Lu's place. Junior Brother Lu, Master Sect Leader holds you in high regard. You must give a good showing."

An uproar broke out among Shushan's elders. Clearly, they found Taiyuan True Person's third choice hard to believe.

Li Changye, eldest senior brother: five hundred years of cultivation, Dao Palace Realm Ninth Layer.

Song Wuchuan, second senior brother: four hundred and fifty years of cultivation, Dao Palace Realm, Eighth Layer.

Lu Changsheng, junior brother: two hundred and fifty years of cultivation, Dao Palace Realm, First Layer.

No matter how one looked at it, Lu Changsheng was the weakest link.

Among Shushan's elders who had cultivated for less than three hundred years, there were disciples of the Grand Supreme Elders as well as Taiyuan True Person's personal disciples, and their cultivation was not necessarily lower than Lu Changsheng's.

Yet Taiyuan True Person had chosen to send Lu Changsheng.

Quite a few Shushan elders broke into a cold sweat on Lu Changsheng's behalf.

If either eldest senior brother or second senior brother failed to win, Lu Changsheng would very likely be the one left to shoulder the blame.

Of course, if they knew that Lu Changsheng's actual cultivation had already reached the Dao Palace Realm Fifth Layer, there would be no need to worry.

Lu Changsheng? Then if Ask Immortal Pavilion faces Shushan, he'll be my opponent...

Xia Ningxue's gaze fell on Lu Changsheng again. She too was rather surprised that Shushan would send him out to compete.

When the two had first met five years ago, the cultivation Lu Changsheng had shown at the brink of life and death had been the Dao Palace Realm, First Layer. There could be no mistake.

But Lu Changsheng's presence was somewhat hard to pin down now.

Because of his Innate Dao Body, no one present could see through Lu Changsheng's true cultivation.

"Crouching Dragon Temple will send out three elders: Zhuge Changming, Jiang Feng, and Liu Xunxian."

Yu Xuanji, master of Crouching Dragon Temple, selected three elders according to the rules.

"Zhuge Changming, Crouching Dragon Temple's first disciple, has cultivated for seven hundred years. Like eldest senior brother, he's at the Dao Palace Realm Ninth Layer, and he has even more combat experience. It looks like this will be a clash of dragons and tigers."

"As long as eldest senior brother and second senior brother win, Shushan will be victorious even if Junior Brother Lu doesn't have to fight."

"That's right. I believe eldest senior brother and second senior brother can deal with their opponents."

"Junior Brother Lu, you can put your mind at ease."

"The sect leader most likely intends for eldest senior brother and second senior brother to defeat their opponents. As for the third person, there's no need for him to fight, so it makes no difference who he is."

"That must be it."

Most of Shushan's elders guessed at Taiyuan True Person's intentions, believing he had absolute confidence in eldest senior brother and second senior brother.

In the matches between the Six Great Orthodox Sects, two victories out of three were enough.

If eldest senior brother and second senior brother won, Lu Changsheng would not have to fight.

Li Changye, however, was not as relaxed as the other Shushan elders. He knew that the sect leader had chosen Lu Changsheng as the third competitor not because the first two were certain to win, but because Lu Changsheng was the Shushan elder with the highest cultivation among those who had cultivated for less than three hundred years!

"Taiyuan, I've never seen this disciple of yours."

"I hear he's the last disciple you took in."

"I can't even make out what his cultivation is."

Sect leaders such as Grandmaster Chen and High Person Wuxiang began to pay attention to this figure from Shushan, Lu Changsheng.

From what they knew of Taiyuan True Person, he would not send an inconsequential elder out to compete.

Taiyuan True Person merely smiled faintly and offered no further explanation.

"No matter which disciple you send out, he will never be a match for this disciple of mine. Taiyuan, my disciple's talent surpasses even yours."

The Pavilion Master of Ask Immortal Pavilion wore a cold expression, full of confidence in her youngest disciple, Xia Ningxue.

Xia Ningxue cultivated at an astonishing speed, enough to shock even the Pavilion Master of Ask Immortal Pavilion.

Xia Ningxue was her trump card for humiliating Shushan.

The sect leaders of the Six Great Orthodox Sects jointly maintained the barrier around the Six Paths Assembly's Martial Platform. Even if Dao Palace Realm geniuses fought inside it, they would find it difficult to damage the Martial Platform.

The three pairs of elders from Shushan and Crouching Dragon Temple were the first to face off.

The first to fight for Shushan was eldest senior brother Li Changye, while Crouching Dragon Temple sent out Yu Xuanji's first disciple, Zhuge Changming.

Both were peerless geniuses who stood out like cranes among chickens among the younger generation of elders in the Six Great Orthodox Sects, the future pillars of their respective sects.

The moment the two stepped onto the Martial Platform, they drew everyone's attention.

"Zhuge Changming, Crouching Dragon Temple's first disciple, excels at divining the secrets of heaven and making ingenious calculations, just like the temple master. Once, while exploring an unknown Immortal Ruins, he plotted the deaths of five Dao Palace Realm elders from the Demon Sects. His name became famous overnight."

"Eldest senior brother is up against Zhuge Changming. I wonder what his chances of winning are?"

"Ten out of ten."

Second senior brother Song Wuchuan suddenly spoke, and the Shushan elders fell silent as cicadas.

Song Wuchuan turned and smiled. "I might lose, but in the Dao Palace Realm, eldest senior brother is invincible."